When you build a shrine to anything, there comes a certain responsibility.
In the case of the city of Surprise, Arizona, the Surprise City Pickleball Courts, since opening 4 years ago, have become somewhat of a shrine to the sport of pickleball. But the shrine may be crumbling.
The Villages of Florida is considered THE pickleball vacation spot in the country simply because there are so many available courts.
But as we travel the U.S., when you ask people where is the mecca of pickleball, it is overwhelmingly Surprise, Arizona. Everywhere we go, people talk specifically about The City Courts.
As a matter of fact, the Surprise City Courts have become so famous nationwide that most people just refer to them as THE CITY COURTS. When players mention The City Courts, everyone knows they are referring to the 8 courts at 14534 W. Tierra Buena Lane next to Dreamcatcher Park.
There is Yankee Stadium for baseball, Pebble Beach for golf and The City Courts for Pickleball.
But sadly, The City Courts are now so overcrowded that it is starting to become a negative.
It is hard to believe that the city of Surprise isn’t falling over themselves to expand that facility in order to maintain their brilliant, pickleball-tourist attracting reputation.
These courts are packed with people waiting to play. At just about any time, you can catch some of the best pickleball players in the world, including National Champions, Gigi LeMaster, Steve Wong, Mark Friedenburg, Scott Lennan and others, mixing in with men and women brand new to the sport. It is a wonderful experience that has become famous throughout the sport of pickleball and its two million plus players.
It is (or was) truly THE place to play pickleball when you travel to Arizona.
It is interesting to watch the surrounding communities now building pickleball courts at breakneck speed in order to capitalize on the mega growth the sport of pickleball is currently experiencing.
Hope the City of Surprise realizes it before it’s too late. Sadly, based on what we’ve seen, the mecca will soon be moving.
Just our observation,
Rocket and the Pickleball Rocks Team
When you develop a reputation, everyone wants to play. While it’s a plus this happens at multi sport’s facilities. Like everything else the solution to problems like this require more capital expenditure. How much value does the community place on this type of venue. It’s obvious here while the interest is still high, the city is not doing it’s part to expand. Now I’ve experienced the reversed, with more courts opening up and drawing away play, because it’s closer to a person’s home. This to is sad, when you 4 allotted days for pickleball play indoors, risk becoming 1 day.
Why won’t the Surprise City Tennis Center convert some of there underused courts to Pickleball or at least make some courts multi use lined courts !
I also cannot get myself to ignore the fact that the city of Surprise doesn’t have any new construction to expand the existing facility. They know it’s a veritable beehive of activity day and night all week long.
The galvanizing sport of Pickleball has its cup running over and fast, very fast.
There’s been some gossip recently that if they expand westward from the current courts and take up the volleyball court (marginally used) area, then it’ll be maximized in capacity with commensurate growth.
What’s not to gain or be excited about. Build it and they not only will come, but probably decide to stay.
Cheers!